Israel Policy Forum
Encyclopedia
The Israel Policy Forum (IPF) is a New York, NY based American Jewish
organization that works for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
. The organization lobbies American policymakers in support of this goal and writes opinion pieces that have appeared in many Jewish and non-Jewish newspapers. It was founded in 1993.
In September 2008, the organization named Peter Joseph (then the Forum's chairman) to succeed Seymour Reich as president. Larry Zicklin took over from Joseph as chairman.
The IPF has been criticized for being pro-Palestinian
; Isi Leibler called them "Jews against Zion". Members of the IPF responded that working with the Palestinians is in Israel's best interest and that Mr. Leibler's attack was "offensive and deplorable".
Israel Policy Forum believes that a two-state solution to the conflict will bring increased security, prosperity and stability not only to Israel, but to its Arab neighbors and the region. IPF believes that a two-state solution is key to gathering the worldwide support necessary to increase international security and effectively fight terror. IPF believes that America must remain an active and consistent partner in the peace process both to reach this goal and strengthen the United States’ role in the region. IPF is committed to encouraging and supporting the United States in this effort.
, Vice President Al Gore
, Senator Joseph Biden, Prime Minister
Ehud Barak
, then-Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
and Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon.
to a senior US intelligence post. IPF Washington Director M.J. Rosenberg strongly supported Freeman on the grounds that Freeman's harsh criticisms of Israeli policy would make him an ideal candidate to prepare US intelligence estimates. However, the Jerusalem Post reported that the previous President of the IPF, Seymour D. Reich:
In March 2009 the IPF removed Reich's name from its online list of members of its Executive Committee, although it did not issue any formal announcement of the change.
Professionals
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
organization that works for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
. The organization lobbies American policymakers in support of this goal and writes opinion pieces that have appeared in many Jewish and non-Jewish newspapers. It was founded in 1993.
In September 2008, the organization named Peter Joseph (then the Forum's chairman) to succeed Seymour Reich as president. Larry Zicklin took over from Joseph as chairman.
The IPF has been criticized for being pro-Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
; Isi Leibler called them "Jews against Zion". Members of the IPF responded that working with the Palestinians is in Israel's best interest and that Mr. Leibler's attack was "offensive and deplorable".
Mission
Israel Policy Forum’s (IPF) stated mission is to champion involved and continuous American diplomacy efforts, which it believes are imperative for reaching an overarching settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Israel Policy Forum believes that a two-state solution to the conflict will bring increased security, prosperity and stability not only to Israel, but to its Arab neighbors and the region. IPF believes that a two-state solution is key to gathering the worldwide support necessary to increase international security and effectively fight terror. IPF believes that America must remain an active and consistent partner in the peace process both to reach this goal and strengthen the United States’ role in the region. IPF is committed to encouraging and supporting the United States in this effort.
Policy
- Israel Policy Forum (IPF) provides news analyses and recommendations for constructive American approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and related issues. IPF works with domestic and international policy makers to help form the public conversation on Middle East issues
- IPF Friday by MJ Rosenberg is distributed nationally and in the Middle East. It is regularly reprinted online and in major publications, such as the Jerusalem Post.
- IPF’s US and Israel Advisory Councils include Israeli and American analysts and former government officials. The Councils regularly discuss policy, write position papers and communicate for IPF in the media and in various communities across the nation.
Advocacy
IPF’s team of advocates and leaders—which includes members of Jewish, philanthropic, academic and political organizations—imparts policy messages to American and international leaders. IPF also regularly holds conference calls and educational training in major U.S. cities.Leadership development
IPF trains advocates to promote a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through educational programs. IPF holds an annual Leadership Event to support key figures who promote peacemaking efforts. Previous speakers at the Leadership Event include President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, Senator Joseph Biden, Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
, then-Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
and Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon.
Public diplomacy
IPF works to enhance communication and diplomatic efforts between Israeli, Arab and American leaders. IPF arranges bi-annual delegations to the Middle East in which American leaders meet with heads-of-state, diplomats, scholars and analysts throughout the region. IPF also conducts media outreach by contributing background information and op-eds to major U.S. and Israeli publications.Dispute over Freeman nomination
Leaders of the Israel Policy Forum disagreed in early 2009 over the appointment of Charles FreemanCharles W. Freeman, Jr.
Charles W. Freeman, Jr. is an American diplomat, author, and writer. He has served for the State and Defense Departments in many different capacities in the past thirty years, with the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs calling his career "remarkably varied"...
to a senior US intelligence post. IPF Washington Director M.J. Rosenberg strongly supported Freeman on the grounds that Freeman's harsh criticisms of Israeli policy would make him an ideal candidate to prepare US intelligence estimates. However, the Jerusalem Post reported that the previous President of the IPF, Seymour D. Reich:
In March 2009 the IPF removed Reich's name from its online list of members of its Executive Committee, although it did not issue any formal announcement of the change.
Leadership
| IPF Officers and Executive Committee | |
|---|---|
| Peter A. Joseph, President | Lawrence Zicklin, Chair |
| Marvin Lender | Geoffrey H.Lewis |
| Harriet Mouchly-Weiss | Henry Ostberg |
| Unfilled (formerly Seymour D. Reich, who resigned March 2009 in dispute over Charles Freeman) | James E. Walker III |
| Honorary Chairs | |
|---|---|
| Jack Bendheim | Robert K. Lifton |
| Michael Sonnenfeldt | Judith Stern Peck |
| Thedore R. Mann | |
| National Board | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Adler | Karen Adler | David Avital | Lawrence Bender | Mark Biderman | Ed Blank | Joan Bronk | Stanley M. Chesley | Matthew Fassler | Harvey Fields |
| Ernest Ginsberg | Stanley P. Gold Stanley Gold Stanley Phillip Gold is President and CEO of Shamrock Holdings, Roy E. Disney's private investment company. He was on the Walt Disney Company's board of directors 1984; 1987-2003. He and Roy resigned to publicly campaign to oust then CEO and Chairman of the Board Michael Eisner. He also helped... |
H.P. Goldfield | Sally Gottesman | Harold Handler | Steven C. Koppel | Murray Koppelam | Allen Kronstadt | Tom Kully | Jaqueline Levine |
| Yaffa Maritz | Mark Medavoy | Norman J. Pattiz | Debra Pell | Marcia Riklis | Sy Reich | Henry Rosovsky | Jodi J. Schwartz | Ian Slome | Terri Smooke |
| Susan K. Stern | S. Donald Sussman | Steven Warnecke | Alan L. Wurtzel | Michael D. Young | Aaron Ziegelman | Eric Geller | Brian Zimmet | ||
Professionals
- Nick Bunzl, Executive Director
- MJ Rosenberg, Director of Policy Anyalsis
- Thomas A. Dine, Policy Consultant
- Roberta Fahn Schoffman, Jerusalem Consultant
| National Scholars | |
|---|---|
| Steven L. Spiegel, LA | Stephen P. Cohen Stephen P. Cohen Stephen P. Cohen is an American political scientist. He is an expert on Pakistan, India, and South Asian security. He is a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and an emeritus professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.-Books:* The Idea of Pakistan... |
| Israel Advisory Council | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Moshe Arad | Gen. (Ret.) Shlomo Gazit | David Kimche | Dov Lautman |
| Jacob Perry | Gen. (Ret.) Israela Oron | Gen. (Ret.) Danny Rothschild | Talya Sasson |
| Ambassador Shimon Shamir | Itschak Shrem | Gen. (Ret.) Iftach Spector Iftach Spector Iftach Spector is a retired Israeli Brigadier General, a former fighter pilot and commander of the airbases at Tel Nof and Ramat David. He serves on the Israel Advisory Council of Israel Policy Forum.- Biography :... |
Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg |
| Yoram Yahav | |||
| American Advisory Council | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Samuel Lewis | Marshall Breger | Rachel Bronson | Frederic C. Hof |
| Aaron David Miller | Michael Nacht | Ambassador Robert H. Pelletreau, Jr. | Ambassador Edward S. Walker, Jr. |